You’ve probably sat and watched your cat slowly, determinedly push something off a table and onto the floor. But why? Does Mr. Snuggles just relish destruction? Is it revenge for your failure to provide a steady diet of fresh fish?

“Toying” with prey is a common behavior in feline hunters. When your cat nudges a small, stationary object with her paw, she’s practicing the same behavior. Your cat’s instincts tell her that paperweight or knickknack could turn out to be a mouse. Her poking paw would send it scurrying, giving her a good game (and possibly a good lunch).

However, once a cat learns that knocking something to the floor will bring humans on the double-quick, she may actually do it on purpose to get your attention, particularly if she feels that a meal is long overdue.

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Probably you should maybe cat-proof your home a little better, because it’s really a lot to ask Fluffy to care about that carefully curated collection of Precious Moments figurines. Also: more cat toys. And there you have it.